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Title / Write a user guide or technical text
Level / 4 / Credits / 4
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to plan and write a user guide or technical text.
Classification / Communication Skills > Writing
Available grade / Achieved
Explanatory notes
1The candidate’s writing competence must be assessed after they have been given the opportunity to edit and proof read their work.
2Definitions
A user guide or technical text is a reference text which may provide information, explanation, and/or descriptions of procedures. It could include standard operating procedure guides.
Organisational requirements refer to an organisation’s documentation or reporting requirements.
Target audience refers to the end users of the user guide or technical text.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Plan a user guide or technical text.
Evidence requirements
1.1The purpose and target audience are identified and described for the user guide or technical text.
1.2The needs of the target audience are identified and described.
1.3Formatting, layout and technical requirements are identified in terms of target audience, purpose and organisational requirements.
Outcome 2
Write a user guide or technical text.
Evidence requirements
2.1Information that is comprehensive, complete, concise, technically accurate, and directly relevant to the target audience is included in the user guide or technical text.
2.2Information is presented in logical order in accordance with organisational requirements.
2.3A guide to, and summary of, the contents for the target audience are provided by headings and subheadings.
2.4Appendices or graphics are (where necessary) labelled, relevant, and in accordance with purpose, target audience and organisational requirements.
2.5Conventions of technical writing are followed and are consistent with purpose, target audience, and organisational requirements.
Rangeincludes but is not limited to – vocabulary, capitalisation, numbering.
Planned review date / 31 December 2021Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 24 March 1998 / 31 December 2015
Rollover and Revision / 2 / 25 July 2006 / 31 December 2015
Review / 3 / 21 May 2010 / 31 December 2020
Rollover / 4 / 18 June 2015 / 31 December 2020
Review / 5 / 16 February 2017 / N/A
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0113
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Comments on this unit standard
Please contact NZQA National Qualifications Services if you wish to suggest changes to the content of this unit standard.
NZQA National Qualifications ServicesSSB Code 130301 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018